AmbiophonicDSP is a very powerful, yet very affordable, Effect VST™ (Steinberg GmbH) plug-in that dramatically boosts performance listening to stereo audio. Using Winamp, or any VST host in your PC, AmbiophonicDSP renders sound previously unheard, awaiting in your recording collection. AmbiophonicDSP takes stereo to an entirely new level. It must be experience (...more...)

You dont have to wait for the next electro-music.com streaming event to have some fun. Several of us have been streaming music informally from computer to computer on the weekends. Just come into the chatroom anytime...people are usually streaming off and on all weekend long from Friday night to Sunday night.

Depending on your computer, you can stream to several people, play as long as you want, and have fun playing in an informal environment. There is much more freedom available to the player in this scenario. Whether you want to perform a 2 hour ambient piece, 30 minutes of noise, or just wanted to show off some new patches...come on in and experiment with us.

It's also a great way to practice your streaming as well...getting better familiarity with the software makes things much easier for streaming events in the future, without the stress on you and the engineers trying to figure out problems in time for a performance. :bangdesk:
It's hard enough to just play (...more...)

I have been travelling during the summer, a long way from the metal walls of modular synths. But now I am back with monthly reports from the modular world.

Analogue Systems has during long time sold their RS-310 Reverb/Chorus, with a special multi tap bucket brigade chip capable to create electronic reverb effects.

Doepfer A188

Doepfer is now in the race with no less than six A-188-1 modules, each with a different BBD chip, ranging from 256 steps to 4096 steps. In practice, it means that the delay time is from a dozen milliseconds in the 256 BBD Chip to up to over 200 milliseconds in the 4096 chip. The AS RS-310 is declared to be capable of up to 150 ms delay.

The length of the delay is controlled by the clock frequency. Normally, it is above 10 KHz, and filtered to be inaudible. For short delay times, the clock frequency is several hundred KHz. I tested three modules under the same conditions: The AS RS-310, a Doepfer A-188-1 with 128 steps to one with 2048 steps. In practice, it means that the delay time is from a dozen milliseconds in the 256 BBD Chip to up to over 200 milliseconds in the 4096 chip. The

On May 20, 2006 The Gathering concert in Philadelphia features local musicians Orbital Decay and The Ministry Of Inside Things. Both groups are synth/guitar duos. The event was a benefit for the The Corporation for Innovative Music and Arts of Pennsylvania, the non-profit corporation that puts on The Gatherings. See the concert's web site. This was a good concert.

Orbital Decay, Terry Furber (synths) and Scott Watkins (guitar), were in excellent form. Terry and Scott's music washes over the audience in rich waves of textures. Their set was one continuous piece - one hypnotic evolving ambient sonic experience. Terry's setup is 100% analog - most gear is vintage but he (...more...)

The CrackleBox is a tiny battery-powered portable electronic musical instrument that you can take with you almost anywhere. Designed by Michel Waisvisz when he was with Steim back in the mid-seventies, this was one of the first bent instruments. The CrackleBox may not have the legendary status of a Mini Moog, but this instrument is destined to be a classic.

CrackleBoxes aren't that well know in North America. I first saw one at the Nord Modular meeting in The Hague back in 2004. There as a big show of nearly 100 vintage synths. One guy there had a CrackleBox; I fell in love with it. Of all the synths at the event, the CrackleBox made the biggest impression on me. (I even took a picture of it, ).

In 2004, Michel started a new manufacturing run of 500 CrackleBoxes. They are obviously hand-made. I ordered one and got number 130. It is wonderful. There is a web s (...more...)

DATELINE — Oct. 21, 2005 - electro-music.com was named an Honorable Mention in the Customer Service Relationship Category of the Cisco Growing with Technology Awards 2005. Winners were announced during a ceremony at the Fairmont Hotel in San Jose, Calif.

electro-music.com is an online community for musicians and enthusiasts of experimental electronic music. The site supports this community with a discussion forum, online music, synthesizer patch archives, e-mail lists, internet streaming of live concerts and jams, and an online store for CDs and related merchandise. electro-music.com provides their members leading-edge web services using a strategy of developin (...more...)

This modular report focus on two new modules: The Metasonix TM-6 and the Livewire Dual Cyclotrone.

Metasonix TM6

The TM-6 Multimode filter bears all the signs of a Metasonixhttp://metasonix.com/ product: it is yellow; unpredictable; and it can be a wonderful adventure or an audio nightmare, depending on what kind of attitude you have.

It consists of two band pass filters two or three octaves apart (depending on the setting of a switch). A rotary knob fades in and out the two band pass filters. When turned to 12 o’clock, the band pass filters are in series, with the treble filter first in the chain. It is not a true low pass filter, but it sounds like one. In low pass mode, it is possible to get that warm fat resonance at the top of the sound, that is associated with classic analogue filter. In band pass mode, the resonance can go into a nasty peak without warning; headphones are not recommended. The bass only filter is just the bass band pass filter.

Part of the classic Moog sound is due to the filter saturation. But it goes to unexpected levels in this module (...more...)

Is it possible to unite the virtual analogue modular with the real thing?
I tried it out and the short answer is: Yes!
To get a longer answer, keep reading…

Per Wikstorm's Synthesizer Workshop

I did a lot of modular patching in the early 80ies, mainly on Buchla and Roland 100 systems, with old school tape loops and 4-channel tape recorders. I quit the whole thing after some years, but started again in the late 90ies with the virtual alternative: The Clavia Nord Modular. When the Clavia G2 virtual modular hit the market some years ago I started an intense period of patching.

I consider myself a semi pro in the music area. I have produced a lot of music for a series of scientific documentaries for Swedish Television. My musical interest goes from soundscapes and noodles to electronica jazz and dance music. But it has in common that I use a lot of monophonic voices I a rhythmic texture, rather than chord progressions and complex melodic and harmonic structures.

But using the G2, with Korg Electribe as rhythmical backup, I missed something. The creation and modification of gates and con (...more...)

For the past week my head has been filled with fragments of old Dixieland music.. Basin Street Blues, Mississippi Mud, other tunes whose names I can't remember. So tonight I gave in to temptation and pulled out some old vinyl to listen to... my god.

I don't know if everyone here knows what we've lost. New Orleans is where it all started; where jazz was born. And jazz gave us rock, and rock gave us most of the forms of electronic music we listen to today. Yes, we lost Bob Moog last month, but Bob was a man, and we expect men to die.. but New Orleans was a city, an irreplaceable cultural treasure; its loss is by far the greater.

If you've never had a chance to listen to any Dixieland - either great New Orleans stuff, or even the Disneyland variety, you should take the time to track some down and give it a listen. It's the happiest, most uplifting music you'll ever hear; even the sad bluesy tunes are filled with life and hope. The songs tend to have rigid structure, mostly based on a 12-bar blues pattern, but with incredible opportunity for the performers to take wing, either with little ornaments around the melody or with extended solos. And then there are those magical moments when all of the lead instruments are improvising.. trumpet, clarinet and trombone, each playing their own parts, straight from the heart - yet, by virtue of their own unique timbres and capabilities, never st (...more...)

We have a few tee shirts left from electro-music 2005. The event was not just a great music festival, but a moving personal experience for those who attended. These tee-shirts are physical manifistations of these experiences.

These shirts were designed by Jeremy of Diana Behlke. On the front is a nice graphic with the words: July 3-5 Philadelphia - ELECTRO-MUSIC 2005. On the back is printed the names of the performing artists.

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — August 21, 2005 — Bob died this afternoon at his home in Asheville, N.C. He was 71. Bob was diagnosed with brain cancer (glioblastoma multiforme or GBM) in late April 2005. He had received both radiation treatment and chemotherapy to help combat the disease. He is survived by his wife, Ileana, his five children, Laura Moog Lanier, Matthew Moog, Michelle Moog-Koussa, Renee Moog, and Miranda Richmond; and the mother of his children, Shirleigh Moog.

Bob was warm and outgoing. He enjoyed meeting people from all over the world. He especially appreciated what Ileana referred to as "the magical connection" between music-makers and their instruments.

A public Memorial Celebration is planned for The Orange Peel for noon, Wednesday, August 26th. Fans and friends can also direct their sympathies or remembrances to www.caringbridge.com/visit/bobmoog.

Bob's family has established The Bob Moog Foundation dedicated to the Advancement of Electronic Music in his memory. Many of his longtime collaborators including musicians, (...more...)

On the electro-music.com circuit bending forum there is a post by Dnny about Gijs Gieskes' tape recorder sequencer. Dnny posted a link to the Gijs' music page. There is a lot of really excellent music there. I highly recommend checking out Girj's site. Click on the links for each section, Game Boy, Circuit Bending, Finland, etc. There is a great deal of facinating music there.

US Repeal The Hague Invasion Clauseby moscOn another forum topic , it came to my attention that there is an American law authorizing the invasion of The Hague, The Netherlands, in case the World Court were to prosecute American soldiers. I had never heard of such a thing. Apparently there is a provision in the American Servicemembers Protection Act of 2002 which authorizes the use of military force to liberate any American or citizen of a US-allied country being held by the court, which is located in The Hague. This provision, dubbed the "Hague invasion clause," has caused a strong reaction from US allies around the world, particularly in the Netherlands. See here.

This is certainly preposterous. Authorization to invade The Hague for hypothetical reasons is at best provocative. I'm sure the intent is to preserve the sovereignty of the USA, but this not only makes us appear arrogant and aggressive, it makes our friends uncomfortable and causes anti-American resentment.

The World Court just happens to be in The Netherlands like the UN just happens to be in the US. What if the Chinese Central Committee passed a law authorizing the Red Army to invade New York if a Chinese national was ever detained by a UN peace keeping force somewhere?

If you are an American, please write to your congressman and senators. Ask them what do they think of this? It is easy to contact them at www.house.gov or (...more...)

Event ASP 8 - Active Studio Monitorsby Elektro80 - Stein GrebstadThe best known product from Event Electronics has for years been the 20/20bas, now updated to 20/20basV2. Event has also a series of less expensive monitors, both passive and active. The new top of the line Studio Precision series is aimed at the upper end of project studios and small to midsized "real" studios. It can be argued that pro studio monitors start at approx $3000 US onwards to like $30,000 US or more. In that respect this is still budget gear like the Mackie 824s and similar Genelec monitors. Musician´s Friend is selling these for approx. $1300 US

The enclosure seems to be well made and the weight is approx. 32.5 lbs. The cabinet is made of MDF and the finish is black ash. The front baffle has rounded edges and a stunning piano finish on the front. It is pretty much the same finish you will find on a black Petrof .

A note in the box told of the baffle having a special protective plastic cover thingie that you have to (...more...)

The Hanging Garden is a stunning new CD by Hypnotique which features twelve heroic songs, noir narratives, and melancholic instrumentals which are take the listener on an enchanting journey through many varied musical experiences. This CD was created completely by Hypnotique; composition, vocal and instrumental performances, recording, mastering, and even the CD packaging.

The Hanging Garden is a creative tour de force. The music transports the listener though many different worlds, from horrific images of places where the "blood flows like wine", The Witch's Tale, to absolutely beautiful tribute to to Clara Rockmore, Clara De Lune. Hypnotique merges classical, avant-garde, pop, and cabaret styles. The music has style all of its own that is refreshing, challenging, and always interesting. Sometimes she is terrifying ("Have you ever had a dream about killing someone in your own family?"); sometimes poignant; and sometimes humo (...more...)

The Art of the Recording Engineer: From Michael Jackson to Mutant Radio, MATT FORGER speaks out.

Interviewed by Scott G (The G-Man)

G-Man: When people think of Matt Forger, they usually think of your work with Michael Jackson, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Glen Ballard, and Bruce Swedien, yet when you hand out a CD with examples of your producing, engineering or mixing, it almost always has new and emerging artists, people like Mutant Radio, Laughing With Lulu, The Dharma Bomb, or Fjaere. What's your thinking behind the choice of avoiding the big names?

Forger: While my association with those big names was a wonderful experience, it's also in the past.

G-Man: But you work with artists at every level, including "the biggies."
Forger: Oh sure. For example, I still maintain a professional relationship with Michael Jackson and contributed to the recent release of "Michael Jackson - The Ultimate Collection," a boxed set, and I worked on many of the previously unreleased recordings that are included in it, as well as overseeing various aspects of the pro (...more...)

On Sunday, January 30, 2005, at Carnegie Hall, Ana Milosavljevic presented a recital of new violin Music. Ms. Milosavljevic performed compositions by Beth Anderson, Lauren Bernofsky, Margaret Fairlie-Kennedy, Aleksandra Vrebalov, Chen Yi and John Adams. Ms. Vrebalov's "Lila" for solo violin was a world premiere.

Ana Milosavljevic is a very enthusiastic performer of new music. She plays with a powerful intensity of expression. She presented pieces in various styles or genres which she can interpret with equal ease. She was accompanied by Christofer Oldfather and Terezija Cukro; both excellent pianists. The concert was quite an interesting journey.

Mastering is widely misunderstood, often mangled, and sometimes mistaken for mixing. So, what is mastering? It's the audio step that comes just before manufacturing a CD. Some people would even say it's a crucial step.

Once you have finished recording and mixing your songs, the tracks are shaped, sculpted, scooped, equalized, compressed, and finessed into sonic splendor (well, you hope) through the audio process known as mastering. Mastering is what gives depth, punch, clarity and volume to your tracks. It is part science, part craft, and part alchemy. . . just like songwriting, singing, performing and recording.

"Loud vs. Proud."
Contrary to popular belief, mastering is only a little about making a hotter sound. While it's true that the gain, or volume level, (...more...)

The ONCE Festivals of the early 1960s were among avant-garde music's seminal events. The ONCE Group included some of the finest, most influential and imaginative composers and musician of the 20th century. They presented approximately 20 concerts in Ann Arbor, Michigan during this period. These legendary concerts have for most of us remained veiled in the mystery of a past not experienced; that is, until now.

Music From The ONCE Festival is a beautiful 5 CD box released by New World Records in September, 2003. These almost six hours of recordings, most of them (...more...)

Electro-Diva extraordinaire Amy X Neuburg's new release, Residue, on Other Minds Records is marvelous. If you only buy one CD this year, get this one. Residue is a breakthrough recording.

I first heard of Amy from Tim Thompson, a member of the electro-music.com forums, via email. He said, "Great/catchy/accessible/deep composition, stunning vocals, terrific use of technology (but all serving the music). A 1-woman show, complex compositions are constructed completely live (she loops/layers her voice and plays/triggers things with drum pads)." Tim is sometimes prone to understatement.

David, aka GSGA, and I drove down to Philly on Tuesday, September 21, 2004, to catch SPIZM, and M.E.S.S. See the announcement here. I took a few photos. See them here.

SPIZM is a drum and bass group from Chicago consisting of David Marzalek, drum, and Pablo Pascoll, bass. David, aka SPIZ, is a member of electro-music.com. When he introduced himself on the forum, I checked out his web site and heard some amazing drumming. When I saw he was coming to play in Philly, I decided to make the gig. When I learned he was playing with M.E.S.S., also a member here, I was really charged. I recently met David, GSGA, he (...more...)

On February 25, 2004, I had the good fortune to attend the Philadelphia Laptop Battle, at Silk City, a local club near downtown. The event was organized by Dev79 of Seclusiasis Studios and a member of electro-music.com. See the announcement here, and the event's web site.

The format was similar to the old battle of the bands. Each of the eight performers got to play a 5 minute set, and then there was an series of eliminations (8, 5, 3, 1) until a winner was selected. Unfortunately, due to time restrictions, I had to leave after the first round. The performers were, La Mejor Seleccion, Mikronesia, Black Market (all the way from Montreal), Structure, Bidi, Imobiline, Alex Welsh and Nintari Man. Dev79 says the Nintari Man was the ultimate winner - congratulations.

I had a great time, all of the music was good. There was a lot of variety in the styles and in the sonic material used by the different artists. (...more...)

Beth Anderson has been a vibrant force on the contemporary music scene since the mid 1970's. A student of such revolutionaries as John Cage and Robert Ashley, she has stunned the music world by turning to a more traditional musical style based on the expression of beauty. Her music was recently performed at a one-composer concert in New York at Carnagie Hall. She has two new CD releases.

We have started an artist's forum to provide information about and to discuss Beth's music. To inaugurate this forum, we are publishing an interview with her in which she discusses her unique musical journey. You can read the interview byclicking here. We have also have posted some mp3 samples of Beth's music, as well as announcements of her upcoming activities. We are very pleased to welcome Beth Anderson to the electro-music.com community of musicians and artists.

Riot! Revolt! Freedom! Respect!We have dicussed this before. Now Don Henley has written an article which has spread like.. whatever.. all over the net the last few days. I picked this out of an email I got yesterday. This was originally published at the Washington Post. --Elektro80

Killing the Music
By Don Henley

When I started in the music business, music was important and vital to our
culture. Artists connected with their fans. Record labels signed
cutting-edge artists, and FM radio offered an incredible variety of music.
Music touched fans in a unique and personal way. Our culture was enriched
and the music business was healthy and strong.

That's all changed.

Today the music business is in crisis. Sales have decreased between 20 and
30 percent over the past three years. Record labels are suing children for
using unauthorized peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing systems. Only a few
artists ever hear their music on the radio, yet radio networks are battling
Congress over ownership restrictions. Independent music stores are closing
at an unprecedented pace. And the artists seem to be at odds with just about
everyone -- eve (...more...)

It is very unfortunate and a loss to the electro-music community that Waldorf Music AG has recently become insolvent and their web and FTP sites have gone away. When we got the news, we made a copy of the Waldorf FTP site. A few files are missing, but what we do have is here.

We are not claiming any ownership of the contents of this FTP volume. We offer this as a free service to all Waldorf users out there. This is our way of saying "Thank You" to the Waldorf team; to honor them. It is a sad thing that Waldorf GMBH folded. Their wonderful instruments will hopefully be with us for years to come.

To do our bit to assure the legend of Waldorf will not fade, we are offering upload space for whatever relevant files the Waldorf user community thinks would be fitting and appropriate to add to this file structure. Please get in touch with us, tell us what you have and where in the structure you think it should go.

Have you got a really nice patch you'd like to share? Looking for a new patch? We just set up a new "Patch Archive" forum here on electro-music.com.

You'll find the new forum under the "Instruments and Equipment" forum. It is called "Patch Archive". As people start placing patches there, we'll create sub-forums for each synthesizer or program. This is intended for patches for all synthesizers and programs. There are no restrictions.

To place a patch in the archive, simple post a new topic in the "Patch Archive" and use the "Add Attachment" feature to upload the patch file. Describe the patch, and even upload an mp3 file to let us know what it sounds like.

We hope this Patch Archive proves to be a valuable service for our electro-music.com community. (...more...)

The beginning of 2004 marks the first anniversary of electro-music.com. It's been a very good first year and an interesting story. What started out as a personal experiment has become a valuable resource for growing international community of artists. Many people have joined up and unselfishly given their time and talent to make this site something very special - much more than any single person had imagined. The new year provides a fitting opportunity to acknowledge some of them.

We went on the air in January in test mode; kicking the tires on some great programs - Linux, PHP, PHPBB and OSCommerce. These and many other programs are the products another, much larger, community; those that write free software. With their tools, a low cost server (basically, a PC) and a DSL link, it was possible to build a very capable web site with a powerful interactive forum and an online store.

No question about it, this site would not exist if it weren't for thousands of idealistic and dedicated free software (...more...)

Artwonk - Algorithmic Music and Graphics Programby moscArtWonk is a new program for algorithmic music and graphics from Algorithmic Arts. It is the successor to the SoftStep program. According to the company's web site, ArtWonk is optimized for creating much larger and more complex compositions. I downloaded the 30 day trial version, and I was happy to find it is more than just optimized, it's a major advance in the start-of-the-art.

SoftStep Screen

SoftStep was designed to allow you to build your own software version of hardware sequencers. You do this by placing modules on a work surface and connecting them up via text labels, similarly to the way patch cords are used on a modular synthesizer. The system is much more capable than just emulating step sequencers, it can do many sophisticated algorithmic techniques based on images and even DNA chains. (...more...)

Swales and Angels, an evening of Beth Anderson's music was performed on November 19, 2003 at the Weil Auditorium in New York City's Carnegie Hall. The music at this concert was all acoustic, astonishing, beautiful, moving, and it took me totally by surprise. I'm still trying to gather my thoughts.

The performers included Rubio String Quartet, from Belgium, Jessica Marsten, soprano, Joseph Kubera, piano and celesta, Gary M. Schneider, conductor, Andrew Bolotowsky, flute, Andre Tarantiles, harp, David Rozenblatt, percussion, and Darren Campbell, string bass. They were all quite good. The small recital hall has excellent acoustics, as expected. The decor was in the (...more...)

Last night I drove down to Philadelphia to check out Telefon Tel Aviv, a band that electro-music.com member Zynthetix turned me onto here on the forums. I drove down with Zynthand in Philly we linked up with Daniel, another electro-music.com member-contributor.

Telefon Tel Aviv consists of Joshua Eustis and Charles Cooper. They are from Chicago, and, by the way, have nothing to do with Israel. They were joined by an excellent female vocalist whose name I didn't get. Maybe someone can let us know her name in a reply to this topic.

The performance was an R5 Productions concert at the Unitarian Church, on Chestnut near 21st Street. Apparently there are many alternative and underground concerts put on by these guys. In fact, this show (...more...)

The Gathering is perhaps Philadelphia's premier electronic music concert venue. Last night, November 15, 2003 two local groups, Orbital Decay and The Ministry of Inside Things shared the bill. It was another fine evening of live electronic music for which Philadelphia is globally known.

Orbital Decay, a duo consisting of Terry Furber and Scott Watkins opened the concert with a single multi-media piece, called Galactic Sandstorm (correct me if I didn't this right, OD). Terry said after the concert that the score for the music was the video itself. It indeed is an excellent score. Terry has been working on the video for months. The video is made of images of tr (...more...)

I went down to Philadelphia on Friday, October 17, to the Rotunda on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania for the latest Gate To Moon Base Alpha (GTMBA) concert. On the bill was a performance from The Great Quentini, oil projections and slides from artist David Gerbstadt, and music from Axheron and Artek. There were other artists as well, including James Conner. And of course there was free vegetarian food provided by the beloved Chef Jeff; it was delicious.

As usual GTMBA it was very enjoyable and totally confusing simultaneously. The GTMBA concerts are scheduled to start at 8:00 PM. We got there at 8:30; I'm used to consistent lateness at these events. At 9:00 they started setting up (...more...)

In early September, in London, I got to see Rob Hordijk present a preview of the The Clavia Nord Modular G2. This synthesizer is the much anticipated replacement for the venerable Nord Modular. Rob knows the new machine very well and gave an excellent presentation. Later in the evening, a few lucky NM users joined Rob in the lobby of our hotel and got some hands-on time with the new G2. In this article I will give some of my impressions and thoughts from this first look.

The original NM is a phenomenal electronic musical instrument. When connected to a PC, the NM provides musicians with virtually unlimited supply of polyphonic modular synthesizers. I have one, as well as a Kyma system and lots of other goodies in my studio. The NM is my favorite. In the rest of this article I will assume that the reader is familiar with the current NM. To keep it simple, I'll use NM when talking about the current version and G2 for the new one. This is not an in depth product description, or even a product review, just my impressions, and later some thoughts. Here goes:

The conference was attended by musicians and music technologists from many countries. They heard papers on a very wide range of topics. There were papers about Linux as a platform for music and audio, new concepts in musical instrument interfaces, using swarm theory to automatically generate free jazz, "circuit bending", and even huge concrete acoustic receivers built in England during World War 1 to listen to airplanes coming in over the channel. The meeting was provided with one of the first public looks at the highly anticipated new Nord Modular G2 Synthesizer, as well as reviews of several pieces of music software including MAX/MSP, Super Collider, JMAX, and CSOUND.

Michael Stearns performed last night, October 4, at The Gathering, Philadelphia's premier ambient, electronic and space music concert series. Stearns has been doing space music since the 1970's and is considered a pioneer in the genre. He has composed music for many films, including Baraka Chronos, Ring of Fire and the Lost World. He's also produced nearly 30 albums, collaborations and anthologies.

At The Gathering, Michael played a relatively modest collection of equipment set up in front of a large screen. All of the music was accompanying videos. He said in an interview reprinted in the program notes that he's been collecting visual material from friends, many are in the film business, over the past four years. "I have a lot of out-takes from Baraka - there were eight and a half hours of material which were shot of Baraka which wen not used in the movie. " One of the videos was provided by a friend who returned from Yemen with some very compel (...more...)

Our own Elektro80 has put together a execellent collection information about some interesting contemporary analog synthesizer modules. If you are interested in analog synthesis, you really must check this out on the electro-music.com forum, here. If you aren't interested in this subject, it's still worth the look because hidden in there is a link to one of his pieces you can listen to.

Nectar is a new CD released by Ether Bunnies, a refreshing new group from Asheville, North Carolina. We are very proud to offer Nectar at the electro-music.com online store. In this release, Ether Bunnies define a style all their own; ambient in nature and never boring.

It is a pleasure to announce that we have two new CDs available at the electro-music.com online store. Dennis Haley's Seven Seconds After, and dreamSTATE's ambient disk Between Realities. Both CDs are in the electro-ambient style, but they are quite different.

Dennis Haley's first release for Neverwhere Records filled with wonderful space music textures and themes. This CD is a synth lovers delight with over 59 minutes of thick pads, delicate flutes and intricate rhythmns. This CD has four pieces.

According to the CD notes, the title track was composed during a period where communication seemed impossible, in some ways it had completely broken down. The dark mood that underscores this piece is a result of that communication breakdown. Many instruments came together to build this sonic landscape which opens w (...more...)

Day of Mass Electronic Civil Disobedience
Celebrating International Media Democracy Day
Friday, October 17, 2003

You go to the demonstrations, write letters and email to Congress; and yet, you feel as if your voice is not being heard. What if there was a way for your voice, and the voices of your compatriots, to actually be heard? There is - it is called micropower broadcasting or free radio.

Micropower broadcasting began as a means to empower the residents of a housing project in Springfield, Illinois in the late 1980's. By creating a low power FM broadcast station, this community established its own voice and a direct means to fight against police brutality and repression. Unlicensed and unsanctioned by the government, Human Rights Radio, as it is now known, continues to broadcast to this very day.

Since then, micropower broadcasting has grown into a national movement of electronic civil disobedience. Based (...more...)

We are happy to announce that Fringe Element's new CD, Rampant Biology, is available at the electro-music.com online store. Fringe Element was formed in January 2003 as an outlet for the chaotic tendencies of Michael Victor, Jose Murcia (JEM), James Lacey and Greg Waltzer. James and Greg make up Mutation Vector, whose Placebo Merchant is available at electro-music.com. Greg is also a member of Xeroid Entity, whose Moons of Saturn is available here also. Waltzer is a rising star in the world of electro-music.

Fringe Element's music is boisterous and unrestrained, but also ventures into dark ambient and experimental soundscapes.

Fixin' A Holeby Carlo SerafiniThe idea for writing this article came to me while looking at pictures of some of your (I guess you know who you are) studios. There is nothing wrong being the proud owner of a lot of stuff, but I wonder if we really need every piece of equipment we own. Is it only a matter of “addiction” to musical instruments; the so called “furniture factor”? So, I started thinking about all the musical instruments I have owned over a 25 year span (more or less), and the list is very long. It took me a couple of days and some research on the internet to recall the model names and the various details, and maybe I have still forgotten something.

Fender Rhodes Stage Piano Mark I

My first electro-mechanical instrument was a Davoli electric piano in the late 70’. It had hammers like a Fender Rhodes, 88 keys, but it was housed in a wooden baby grand shaped case that made it very heavy to carry around - but it was very good looking. I have not been able to find any picture of it, and I was surprised to read that Tangerine Dreams used one. I sold it to buy “the real thing”, a Rhodes Stage Piano Mark I (73 keys); the one with "curved top cover". On top of it I had an Elka Rhapsody 490, a “string machine”. I was a teenager an (...more...)

When Paul Avgerinos graduated from the Peabody Conservatory of Music in 1980, as a full scholarship honors student, he had already performed as a bassist with Isaac Stern, Jean Pierre Rampal, The Beaux Arts Trio, Baryshnikov and many other great classical artists. He also has won scholarships to play and study at music festivals in Tanglewood, Aspen, Grand Teton, Taos, and Spojeto (Italy). After graduation, Paul served as principal bass of several major symphony orchestras around the world, and gave solo recitals as well.

We are very proud to offer at the electro-music.com online store the first CD released by Xeroid Entity, Moons of Saturn. Xeroid Entity is a group made up of three of the founders of electro-music.com, Howard Moscovitz, Greg Waltzer and Bill Fox. The music is difficult to classify; certainly it is electronic. Somtimes it is very relaxed and understated, similar to what is called space music. Sometimes it is more energetic and a bit agressive. At times, the music is jazzy. The only rule is to enjoy playing. Moons of Saturn is a very enjoyable listening experience.

This release, while recorded in the studio, is made from live performances in early 2003. There was no overdubbing or post processing used. All of Xeroid Entity's music is spontaneous and improv (...more...)

Last night, April 18, 2003, Robert Ashley's new opera, Celestial Excursions, was received by the enthralled audience at New York's The Kitchen. Celestial Excursions is indeed a masterpiece. Its roots are deep and true in the classical operatic tradition of Monteverdi, the music has a new and compelling sound, and the libretto has a poignant and uplifting message; an anthem for our ripening generation. Robert Ashley leads us from the rebellious, sometimes aimless, meaningless and confusing world of 20th century music, into our future with sensitivity, compassion, and confidence.

Celestial Excursions deals with a human condition that troubles us almost as much as death - old age. The source material is based on the sometimes aimless, unfocused and incoherent converstations of old people.

We are very happy to offer at our store the latest CD from Mutation Vector, Placebo Merchant. This is the first Mutation Vector CD to be offered here on electro-music.com, and we look forward to offering others in the future. We think Mutation Vector will become one of the top electronic music groups once the word gets out.

Mutation Vector explores the boundaries between organic and electronic, ambient and melodic, subtle and demented, order and chaos. The music is retro-styled while still being experimental and completely original. It is alive, improvised and constantly mutating. Their only constraint is that it must be fun to play. All that, and it's fun to listen to as well.

Placebo Merchant is delightful - accessable to fans of all genres of electronic (...more...)

Amy X Neuberg is a star - a brilliant one. I saw her perform for the first time last night at the Roulette in New York City. She was stunning.

I first heard of Amy from Tim Thompson, a member of the electro-music.com forums, via email. He said, "Great/catchy/accessible/deep composition, stunning vocals, terrific use of technology (but all serving the music). A 1-woman show, complex compositions are constructed completely live (she loops/layers her voice and plays/triggers things with drum pads)." Tim is sometimes prone to understatement.

Amy X Neuburg is a classically trained vocalist (Oberlin Conservatory), a composer, an electronic musician, a poet, and an entertainer. Her music covers a tremendous range of styles, from medieval religious chant through Kurt Weil cabaret singing, pop, rock, avant garde, sound text poetry, opera, African tribal singing, and electronic ambient. Her music is very experimental, but (...more...)

We did quite a bit of research on the subject of online credit card processing. We found that there are many companies who provide merchant accounts and processing gateways, but virtually all have minimum monthly fees. For a small startup operation like electro-music.com, these monthly fees are prohibitive. We found that PayPal offers us the best solution for processing credit card orders and for transferring funds to artists.

PayPal offers us secure credit card processing with no monthly fees.

Since we transfer all credit card processing over to their secure SHTTP server, we don't have to buy a digital certificate for our server.

PayPal is owned by EBAY, the largest online auction business. Their server is very reliable and secure. PayPal's service is excellent.

Lo-Bat is active in the micromusic movement which is more popular in Europe than in the US. He is involved with organizing micromusic festivals which have been held in Berlin and Brussels.

At Lo-Bat's web site, http://www.lo-bat.be , you can download several pieces in mp3 format. I've heard other micromusic and I enjoy the enthusiastic expressiveness and creativity of these musicians. I think Lo-Bat's music is distinctive in that it has a special charm, a lively sense of humor and a delightful grace that is very appropriate for this instrument. His pieces are quite original and all different. It's amazing what he is able to coax out of these toys. Well, I won't call Game Boys a toys again; they are full fledged musical instruments in their own right.

Last night, in a small living room in suburban New Jersey, I and seven other invited guests were held spellbound by the three very talented musicians that comprise the group called Electric Diamond. We were joined by possibly hundreds of people throughout the world who enjoyed the concert on a live internet webcast from The ArtMusic Coffeehouse. This was chamber music at its finest, firmly rooted in the past while defining the future, both musically and technically.

The ArtMusic Coffeehouse is a new epicenter for up-and-coming talent. Hosted by Don Slepian, each show (Wednesday evenings, 9PM thru 11PM Eastern US Time) features performances and interviews with talented folk, blues, jazz, classical and world music artists. Set before a modest live audience, the concert begins with Don Slepian's keyboard improvisations. It continues to move between interview and live performance, revealing the thoughts and musical personality of the evening's featured artist. Through webcasting, I can be heard virtually anywhere. This is exciting, like live radio used to be.(...more...)

The American Composers Orchestra's concert at New York's Carnagie Hall on March 2, 2003, was called Zappa and the Emerging American Composer. What was apparent from this performance is that there's not too much connection between the two, except for the title. I've always been fascinated by two of the dominant participant groups in contemporary music; the academics and the popular musicians. This concert shed new light on both, and on the strained relationship between these two strange bed fellows.

The ACO is a huge symphony orchestra. No doubt it is one of the best in the world, especially among organizations focusing on contemporary music. The group, now lead by Steven Sloane, is very refined and plays with incredible precision. They masterfully handle the demanding rhythmic complexities of today's symphonic music. The irony that the large symphonic orchestra is an a (...more...)

Jack Tamul Recordings Available HereWe are very grateful to electronic music composer Jack Tamul for making available two of his recordings, "Electro/Acoustic" and "CURA", on our on-line store. Jack is donating the proceeds from the sale of these products to help electro-music.com get "on the air".

"Electro/Acoustic", Jack's 1980 recording for Spectrum Records, is a classic electronic music release; it's a gem. These 12" LPs are virgin vinyl, never been played, and individually signed by the artist. They are from Jack's archival stock.

This fabulous recording includes both electronic sounds and choruses of real human singers, not sampled voices too often heard today. This is seminal space music. Also, there is great sound/text music, and vintage looping tracks as well. Listening to this makes you realize in retrospect that Jack was a pioneer. Even the liner notes by the legendary electronic music composer William Hoskins are excellent. You don't fin (...more...)

We are very proud to offer at the on-line store the CDs of Orbital Decay. The group, Terry Furber on synthesizers and Scott Watkins on electric guitar, has been performing since 1979.

Influenced by such bands as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Shulze, and Pink Floyd they have developed their own style of "space music". The group is based in Eastern Pennsylvania, and has appeared at Soundscapes in Bethlehem. Click here to read our review of a recent performance.

We are offering three CDs. Two of them are studio recordings, and one is a live performance recorded on the Star's End radio program on WXPN in Philadelphia in 2002. Their CDs are very rare; we have only a few in stock. Rumors have it that they are discussing signing with a record label. No matter, we think that these disks will someday be prized treasures of a fortunate few. < (...more...)

Soundscapes #3 at the Ice House in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on 2-22-03, was another brilliant success. The featured artist was Orbital Decay, a two person electronic music ensemble that plays exquisite evolving sound structures that can best be described as, well, "Soundscapes." Orbital Decay would have been enough, but there was more!

Tom Shaw, an ambient music artist, peformed for about one hour before the concert. His music is certainly not mearly background music to be ignored. Tom Plays the guitar, keyboard and assorted electronic gizmos. He was playing last night with a percussionist whose name I unfortunately didn't get. [Editor's Note: That was Moe Altamuro.] Tom sets up very relaxing ambient textures which are very beautiful. Many people stopped to listen carefully. I hope he performs again at future Soundscapes.

Orbital Decay, Terry Furber on synthesizers and Scott Watkins on electric guitar, has been performing since 1979. Influenced by such bands as Tangerine Dream, Klaus Shul (...more...)

Several of us went down to GTMBA last night. It was worth the 2 hour drive through the horrendous Philadelphia traffic in the rain.

The first set was by Mikronesia. I have heard him at GTMBA once before and his stuff is very interesting. It's hard to figure out exactly how he creates his music because you can't see a lot of equipment on the stage. I suspect he uses a lot of pre-recorded stuff on computer disk and does real-time mixing and some processing. It would be great if Mike would set up a forum here on Electro-Music.com and explain how he works.

His music has elements of percussion running through it most of the time, with lots of electronic sounds (ear candy). It is related to the techno style, but it seems more evolved musically. The music sometimes uses the sounds of processed human voices that are quite interesting. Rarely can you make out the words. The music often sounds like looping, but rarely is it totally repetitive. Most of time, the "loops" are varied in some way each time yo (...more...)